Last Stop - Hong Kong

Wow, was I happy to land in Hong Kong a few days ago! There is only so much sunshine a person can take as well as 90 degrees + temp everyday (says the girl moving to Florida). Hong Kong is a nice, cool, and cloudy change from Indonesia. Living in Hong Kong seems to me like living inside of a mall. Everywhere you go, every place you turn there is a shop. My hostel, for example, is across from Calvin Klein, above DKNY, and just to the right of Outback Steakhouse (ahh welcome back western culture!). For all you Baros's out there, don't worry - Tonny Romas is just half a block away!

My hostel is pretty unique. Land is hard to come by in this city; that is why there are still pulling a Dutchman here (reclaiming land from the sea); and a hostel surely can not afford a big hunk 'o chunk of space. So what they have done is bought several apartments around the city and converted them to 4 or 5 rooms. So my room is on the 12th floor of an apartment building (livin' with the locals), and is about the size of a broom closet. Really, it is. There is not enough room to even sit properly on the toilet! I had to study all angles before deciding the best way to use the thing. And I don't even want to get into failed attempts....

Hong Kong also has learned a lesson from Vegas, if you keep it bright all the time, maybe people will forget it is midnight and hopefully continue shopping. It is the strangest feeling to sit in a restaurant at around 8pm, look outside, and feel like it is noon because of the brightness. I have had to run outside a few times during dinner just to reassure myself it is actually nighttime and I am not going crazy. Now seeing starts is another issue. I am sure they are there, I saw an unbelievable amount in Bali, but sorry charlie, you are not going to spot one from Hong Kong!

I have spent the days walking though the city with what feels like the other 6.5 million people that live on this island. The streets and sidewalks are always packed with people! Walking through town you feel like you are on a human conveyor belt, the flow just don't stop.

I have also taken a class on Chinese Medicine, and decided that I like Western Medicine. There aint no way someone can convince me that eating deer wee-wees is good for my health! Not to mention, they are quite dear (American translation = costing major mullah). And the most popular item in Chinese medicine - Bird's Nest. That is just a fancy name for bird throw up. But it is ok if it gives you a nice compextion, right? Uh - NO! Sorry, they did not make a believer out of me.

I also took a class on Jewelry Appreciation, now that is something I can appreciate! I learned all the ways to identify the most expensive pearls and diamonds. Oh that can and will be useful information! The class was great until the teacher tried to sell me pearls. Well.. they will just have to wait until next time.

Now I am waiting for the laser and light show - its a Christmas special. Whew-hoo! Stay tuned for the picts.

Burning Time

So after I left Lovina I made my way over to the next Island to the East - Nusa Lombogan. To get to this island you have to take a ferry. Normally for common folk this would not be a problem. But for those prone to sea sickness, the 2 1/2 might be alright if it were not for the massive swells and a storm that we hit halfway through the trip. Too bad I am prone to sea sickness. Getting into the ferry was unique as there is not really a marina or port. The boat was just anchored about 15 feet out in the sea. This is bali.. no need for those luxuries. So basically you had to carry your bag over your head out to sea with the water up to your waist to get on the boat. You just have to pray that you can make it to the boat before the next wave comes that might knock you over. I could not have been happier once we made it to the island, though I probably did not look it. I somehow ended up at a really nice bungalow guest house. Tourism is quite low at the moment and I was able to enjoy secluded white sand bays all by my self. What do you do when you have a beach all to yourself? Well, i don't know what you would do - but I did cartwheels. Yeah... i know all you girls out there are jealous. When was the last time you did a cartwheel??I also got to enjoy some nice snorkeling and surfer watching and beautiful sunsets.

But the Island in the end got the best of me. I got burned, both by the sun and by a motorbike muffler. Well, that was then end of my beach enjoyment. The motorbike burn ain't lookin pretty, and probably being on sandy beaches would not be the best in terms of pain management. So I decided to head back to Ubud (not you bud), the town in the center of Bali. I am sitting here getting plenty of reading time in, as well as banana juice sippin time. In a few says I am headed to Hong Kong... the place for the shopping time!

Bali-hoo!

Well, though there was some speculation on whether or not I would pass immigration at the airport here I am happy to report not only was there no problem getting an Indonesian visa, but I got it at a discount! Welcome to Bali, where everything can be bargained. I have no idea why the border dude gave me $5 off (maybe it had to do with my shocking good looks...) but I was not about to start asking questions.

Bali is an Indonesian island known for its good surf, nice beaches, and cheap goods. I would like to add a few things to that: too many hawkers who do not give you a second of peace, strange business practices where people actually get mad and belligerent when you do not buy from them, and beautiful country side. I took a driver with a few other people yesterday and he got pretty mad at us for not wanting to eat at the exorbitantly overpriced restaurant that he took us too - probably missing out on a pretty commission. But really... the place wanted min. $5 for lunch without drinks! Well $3 - beer included - is about my top mark.

My first stop in Bali was Kuta Beach, the place where the terrorists bombed the clubs back in 2002 and 2005. I am glad to report that despite the bad history, people are still bar hopping til the early morning hours there. I also treated myself to the nicest hotel i have stayed in yet during this trip! TV, air-co, pool with a swim up bar... ah, the luxuries of life.

After Kuta I headed up to a small town called Ubud. The hotel was not quite as nice as Kuta, but at $7 you can not really ask for much. In ubud I saw an official Bali style fire dance. Although it lasts about 1 1/2 hours, I am pretty proud of the fact that i stayed there for a full hour and did not fall asleep once! Yeah - that is attention span progress for me! There must be something in the air here..

Now I am hanging out on the black sand beaches of Lovina, in the north of the country. I plan on doing some major vegging out here, as well as some diving. From Lovina you can organize some dives to the best place in Bali - a national marine park in the west, and a shipwreck dive in the east!

Happy Hanukkah! (For those that are interested.. no - in this Muslim nation there are not many lights to be seen from the windows. Since I am wary to draw too much attention to myself I have decided to light a mosquito coil every night in place of candles. It is a 2 for 1 deal for me: it gives off some light, and it minimizes the ritual scratch dance every morning.